For more than 20 years, the Alabama GOP welcomed defectors from the Democratic Party, but since Republicans finally broke a 136-year old Democratic majority in the Alabama State House, the party has become more discerning of newcomers.

At the same time, the state GOP has seen struggles within its tent, with some members accusing candidates and even incumbents of not being loyal to the party's mission.

Officials, including Rep. Bradley Byrne, Alabama Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter and Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead, have agreed to discuss these issues with us this morning.

The discussion will begin at 10 a.m. in the comments section below, where we will field your questions, interact with our guests and try to define more clearly what it means to be a Republican in Alabama.

Update as of 10:33 am: We're seeing some technical difficulties with comments loading for some viewers. We apologize. Hang in there and keep trying.

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